


Braid

by aliveinvividity



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fanart, Fluff, M/M, No angst here, everyone is happy, what we all need in a walking dead episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 23:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10502106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliveinvividity/pseuds/aliveinvividity
Summary: "I wanna learn how'da braid," Daryl murmurs, eyes cast down, staring a hole into the younger man's floorboards.Paul's eyes crinkle under a tight-lipped smile.





	

Daryl, ever since he was little, was always fascinated by hair and what you could do with it. Braids, buns, ponytails, etc. etc. ... It just interested him.

Unfortunately, he never had the time to learn how to play with hair. Sure, he watched his momma braid her own or put it up in the occasional messy bun, and he'd see other girls from school do it, too, but that was about it. And God forbid if he ever grew out his own and learned how to do these things. Will Dixon woulda never allowed it.

So, it came as no surprise that seeing Paul Rovia delicately braiding Maggie's hair with a little smile brought all of these memories and thoughts back in the span of a whopping three seconds.

Daryl was sitting at the table of the trailer, and the other two were sat on the bed, Enid watching Paul's fingers closely. He was teaching her how to French braid, and Maggie brightly volunteered to be the test subject.

It had been pissing down rain the whole day, so the idea was wonderful to the three of them.

'It's been a while since I've had my hair done,' she grinned, taking Paul and Enid's hand and leading them to the bed.

Daryl just stayed where he was, listening in.

"-then you just gather the remaining hair on the left side of the head and into the left section and cross that over the middle section," Paul teaches, Enid leaning in to get a better look. "And you repeatedly keep adding hair and crossing sections." He does this for a short time before looking at the younger girl. "Think you can take over?"

She narrows her eyes thoughtfully before nodding. "I think I can handle it."

Paul delicately hands Maggie's hair over, Enid taking it slowly before beginning to braid on her own.

"Now don't you mess this up," the older woman teases, and Enid's nose crinkles under a bright grin.

"When you're done just tie up the remaining hair," Paul says, dropping a rubber band down next to her. Standing, he wanders over to the table. "It'll be that easy."

"Got it."

When the other man reaches him, the archer straightens up in his chair, clearing his throat. Paul chooses to sit in the chair closest to him.

"Want something to eat?" The smaller man asks.

"Nah," he replies, itching the side of his nose. "Already ate. Might go huntin' fer somethin' when the rain stops, though. We could cook it up in the mornin'."

Paul hums, looking around the room. The sound of rain hitting the roof and Maggie speaking with Enid are the only two things to be heard. "Anything you'd like to do? I've got some board games and books to read." Pause. "If you want," he adds.

The redneck's eyes flicker towards said books piled in the corner of the trailer and then over to the board games that are neatly tucked under Paul's bed. He spots 'Monopoly', 'Sorry', and what he thinks is 'Candyland'.

He isn't in the mood for any of it.

"Nah."

The smaller man nods, lips pursed, tapping the tabletop with his fingers. He looks up at the ceiling in thought or exasperation- Daryl can't tell.

"Then what would you like to do?"

He thinks about it, and the first thing that comes to mind is braiding. He does want to learn, he really does, but he finds himself feeling embarrassed about wanting to. His dad would be angry with him.

But then he remembers that Will Dixon is dead and gone, and there's no reason to feel ashamed for wanting to learn how to braid someone's damn hair.

He takes a deep breath.

"I wanna learn how'da braid," he finally murmurs, eyes cast down, staring a hole into the younger man's floorboards.

Paul's eyes crinkle under a tight-lipped smile. "Alright. What kind of braid do you wanna learn? French braid? Plain braid? The Dutch braid? The four-strand-"

"I jus' wanna learn a normal damn braid," Daryl interrupts, stopping the other man's aimless listing before he loses all interest.

Another cheeky smile. "Alright."

Paul stands, dragging his chair around the table corner and into Daryl's line of sight. The archer turns his own chair to face the younger man's and he sits down, the other mirroring him. They have about six inches of space between one another, and Daryl stares hard at Paul's golden-brown hair.

The smaller man says, "let me see what you can do first."

The hunter, taking that as permission, delicately grabs a lock of hair. He can't help rubbing it between his fingers- it's soft. The other watches in amusement.

Clearing his throat, embarrassed, he parts the strand into two and begins to twist them together. Paul's wide blue eyes bore into his face as he concentrates, his tongue barely slipping through his lips as he works. He has no idea what he's doing- it doesn't look like a damn braid.

Once he's finished, he pinches the bottom part between his forefinger and thumb and mutters, "looks shitty. Sorry."

Paul chuckles, eyes filled with amusement. "No no- it's fine." Another huff of laughter. He gently takes the strand from Daryl, and ties it with a small, black band. "It's a first, and it's fine. Here," searching through his own hair, he picks another strand and separates it from the other hair follicles, "watch closely."

Daryl does. He leans forward, chair creaking, and examines how the other man's nimble fingers part the strand into three different pieces and pieces them together like nothing.

"How'd you learn all this anyways?" He asks, looking up.

Paul grins, eyes clouding up with old memories. "I grew up in group homes. You'd be surprised how much you learn from the other children."

The archer nods, staring at him for a bit before looking back at his working hands.

He gets halfway through the braid before getting Daryl's attention with a small, "hey. Think you can finish it?"

"Yeah."

To his surprise, he does- even if there's a bunch of little hairs sticking out. He's still proud of himself when he ties it up.

The younger man gives him a warm smile. "Good job. It looks nice."

Daryl's own lips tug up in the shadow of a smile, and he looks down, face strangely warm.

"Now it's your turn."

His head rushes upwards, and he glares, mood broken. "Y'ain't touchin' my hair."

Paul gives what can only be conceived as an evil smile.

**

When Sasha returns to the trailer after the rain's stopped, warm apple pie in hand, she guffaws at the sight before her.

Everyone inside's hair has been braided or put up in some funny way, including Daryl Dixon's. What makes it even funnier is the 'Candyland' game spread out before them on the table.

It's a good night for everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> art belongs to the lovely darylfever on tumblr!! thank you <333
> 
> twitter: @agayhomosexual
> 
> tumblr: that-flawless-boi


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